The present invention relates generally to traffic marker devices or safety cones used to alert or divert vehicles, watercrafts, aircrafts and pedestrians to pass safely around hazards, obstacles or other areas. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible safety marker device which self-positions to its original position, deviates from its original position due to natural or traffic perturbations, and restores to its original position from a deviated position in case such perturbations disappear or are removed.
Traffic or safety cones, are routinely used to direct motorists and pedestrians away from obstacles or dangerous area. These cones are usually brightly colored, hollow conical shaped devices made of a synthetic, rubber or other plastic (See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,333,273 to Scanlon et al.). Traffic and safety cones are meant to minimize damage to persons or vehicles which may collide with the cones. However, safety cones are still of significant danger to the public. One reason is that, although the traffic cones are made out of a synthetic, rubber or other plastic, they are still relatively rigid and tend to fall over easily when the cones are subject to natural or traffic wind, perturbations by passing traffic or violence. Furthermore, safety cones that are, for instance, run over or hit by a vehicle, could become dangerous objects or obstacles by being airborne or simply laying on the road, in particular to following traffic or surrounding people.
A variety of different self-righting traffic cones have been proposed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,409 to Dietz Company describes to shape the base of the cone in such a manner that the cone is nestable or stackable self-righting in the manner of a self-righting top. The objective of U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,409 is to provide a nestable cone which, when it has been toppled over, will not roll away but will right itself and stand erect near to the position in which it was originally placed. This was accomplished by a hollow molded plastic traffic cone that has a base portion weighted to give a low center of gravity to the cone. The annular bottom of the base is gradually curved outward and upward to provide rockers so the cone is self-righting and is divided into six angularly spaced triangular legs to prevent rolling when the cone is knocked over.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,016 to Eui Sig Ahn et al. describes a traffic collar cone that has a delineator having a reflection sheet attached on its upper part. A plug is placed under the sheet having an air inlet and outlet extending upwardly and downwardly therethrough. A conical body member is provided, having in its upper end wall an insertion hole in which the plug is mounted. A support panel is provided at the bottom of the body and cone collars are attached on the outer surface of the body member, with vertical spacing between them. The traffic collar cone is made of flexible material and designed to recover its original shape after being impacted, so that injury to collar cone is eliminated or minimized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,105 to Chan describes a safety marker that includes a hollow frusto-conical body and a base having a bowl-shaped main portion and a resiliently flexible skirt for yieldably stabilizing the marker against tipping relative to a supportive surface.
So far the solutions have focused on self righting of the traffic cone. However, these solutions are still not satisfactory from a safety standpoint since they still are either too rigid or can still relatively easy fall over. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a better traffic cone or marker device that further improves road and traffic safety.
The present invention provides a new marker device for increased safety due to a flexible design. The marker device of the present invention includes a base and a flexible means that is positioned over the base. The bottom part of the flexible means is attached to the base. The flexible means is, for instance, but not limited to, a coil and maintains in an original position in absence of a natural or traffic perturbation. However, flexible means deviates from this original position in presence of a natural or traffic perturbation. Moreover, the flexible means restores from this deviated position back to the original position after the perturbation disappears or is removed. Furthermore, the marker device of the present invention includes a cover to cover the flexible means. In addition, the present invention includes a light source to illuminate the marker device. The light source could be placed inside the cover and attached to the cover, flexible means or the base.
In view of that which is stated above, it is the objective of the present invention to provide a flexible marker device or cone to improve safety.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a marker device with a flexible means that positions itself to an original position.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a marker device with a flexible means that deviates from its original position to a new position and wherein the deviation is dependent on the type of perturbation.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a marker device with a flexible means that restores from the deviated position back to its original position, whereby the restoring mechanism in an inherent property of the flexible means.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a marker device with a base that is less likely to fall over as a result of a perturbation.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a marker device with a light source to illuminate the marker device.
The advantage of the present invention over previous devices is that the present marker device can more easily resist various types of perturbations without falling over. Yet another advantage is that the marker device of the present invention significantly reduces the damage to persons or vehicles. These advantages are accomplished by a marker device with a base that remains on the ground and a flexible part that deviates from its original position due to a perturbation in any direction and in any type of way irrespective of the type of perturbation.